Mexico’s Kukulkan UAS On Display For First Time

Hydra Technologies has lifted the veil of secrecy from the new S5 Kukulkan unmanned aerial system, showing it off for the first time publicly here at the Farnborough International airshow. Developed with the Mexican government and tested completely under cover, the S5 represents a natural evolution of the highly successful S4 Ehecatl tactical UAS that has accumulated more than 10,000 hours in extreme battle conditions.

Featuring a wingspan of 25 feet and an endurance of 16 hours, the S5 carries day/night imaging payloads and unlimited range due to the inclusion of a satellite link. The partners have tested and integrated other payloads but have chosen not to disclose their identity.

Full redundancy of all the vital components in the Ehecatl make the Kukulkan as reliable as its smaller sibling, claimed Hydra. Furthermore, said the company, its push-pull twin-engine configuration totally eliminates the possibility of a crash due to engine failure.

The Kukulkan makes its public debut only weeks after several S4 Ehecatl UAVs worked their way through strong winds to escort the leaders of 30 countries to the G-20 summit in Los Cabos, Mexico. Developed entirely in Mexico, the S4s executed persistent ISR missions at the summit that included night and day aerial escort of dignitaries and their staff to and from locations within Los Cabos. Operators transmitted live feeds from the S4s to the central command center established specifically for the summit.